Benin 1 August (Independence from France in 1960)

Cook Islands, August 4 (1965). Te Maevea Nui Celebrations. (Self-government in free association with New Zealand 1965)

Cook Islands' food....

Trivia: Several movies have been filmed on Rarotonga, including The Other Side of Heaven and Johnny Lingo and Another Shore.

Burkina Faso 4 August (change of name from Upper Volta in 1984) (Independence Day, from France in 1960, is 5 August)

Eating in Burkina Faso.....

Trivia: The country has arguably the world’s best place names. Its capital – one of the oldest cities on Earth – is Ouagadougou.

Bolivia 6 August (Proclamation of Republic (independent from Spain) in 1825)

Bolivian fare....

Trivia: Bolivia holds the record as one of the wettest countries in the world. The annual rainfall is over 5000mm.

Côte d'Ivoire 7 August (Independence from France 1960)

Dining in Cote d'Ivoire....

Trivia: This country was the first black Republic and first non-English speaking country to win an Academy Award. The Oscar went to Black and White in Color for Best Foreign-Language Film.

Singapore 9 August (National Day), Gained independence from Malaysia 1965)

Singaporean dining....

Trivia: You can find the national anthem in microtext on the back of the $1000 note. More....

Ecuador 10 August (Proclamation of independence from Spain 1809)

Ecuador's food...

Trivia: Ecuador is named for the equator, which runs through the country.

Balochistan, (Pakistan) 11 August (Independence from India in 1947)

Dining in Balochistan....

Trivia: One of the four provinces of Pakistan, this is the largest, constituting approximately 44 percent of its total land mass.

Chad 11 August (Independence from France 1960)

The food of Chad....

Trivia: Lake Chad is the world’s 17th-largest lake. It is about the size of the American State of Hawaii.

Pakistan, August 13 (1973). See the Constitution of 1973 – The Existing Constitution

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Pakistan 14 August (Independence Day, independence from the British Indian Empire in 1947)

India 15 August (Independence Day, from the British Empire 1947

Dining in India.....

Trivia: India is about a third the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world.

South Korea 15 August (both the liberation from Japanese rule 1945 (Gwangbokjeol) and the declaration of the South Korean state 1948)

The food of South Korea....

Trivia: When you are born in South Korea, you are considered a year old. This means that you age faster by a year if you are a South Korean compared to a westerner.

Liechtenstein 15 August (The Hereditary Prince becomes Regent 2004)

Liechtenstein fare...

Trivia: Liechtenstein is one of only two double landlocked countries.

Republic of the Congo 15 August (Independence from France in 1960)

Congolese food....

Trivia: The Congo River is the ninth longest river on the planet, is 2920 miles long. It is also the deepest river on the planet, at over 700 feet deep.

Gabon 17 August (Independence from France 1960)

Food in Gabon....

Trivia: The rainforests are home to 777 species of birds. The largest lake in Gabone is Ogooue which stretches over a distance of 1200 km.

Indonesia 17 August Proclamation of Independence day, (Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan R.I.), from Japan 1945)

Indonesian cuisine....

Trivia: Marco Polo is believed to have been the first European to visit Indonesia, in 1292. More....

Afghanistan 19 August (Independence from United Kingdom control over Afghan foreign affairs in 1919)

The food of Afghanistan....

Trivia: Afghanistan’s national sport  Buzkashi, or ‘Goat-Grabbing’ as it is also known, is considered to be one of the most hectic and dangerous sports in the world.

Hungary 20 August (St. Stephen's day)

Hungarian cuisine....

Trivia: Inventions by Hungarians include the noiseless match (by János Irinyi), Rubik’s cube (by Erno Rubik), and the krypton electric bulb (Imre Bródy).

Ukraine 24 August (Independence from the Soviet Union 1991)

The food of Ukraine....

Trivia: Ukraine is the largest country in Europe (2nd biggest if counting Russia) and it is called Ukraine not The Ukraine. Read more.....

Uruguay 25 August (Día de la Independencia, declaration of independence from Portugal 1825)

Dining in Uruguay....

Trivia: In Uruguay there are three cows for every one person.

Moldova 27 August (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union 1991)

The food of Moldova......

Trivia: Moldova's production of wine is the highest in the world per capita.

Slovakia 29 August (Slovak National Uprising Day, start of a Slovak uprising against Nazi Germany 1944)

Slovakian fare....

Trivia: Slovakia has 180 castles and 425 chateaux yet the country's population is far smaller than the city of New York.

Kazakhstan, 30 August

Dining in Kazakhstan....

Trivia: Apples are reputedly to originate from Kazakhstan and there are still wild apple forests in the country.

Tatarstan 30 August (Declaration of independence from the RSFSR 1990)

The food of Tatarstan....

Trivia: Cheburek, butter-fried pastry filled with minced meat, is a favourite local specialty.

Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom 30 August (Constitution Day, 1976)

The food of Turks and Caicos Islands.....

Trivia: There are no lakes or rivers in these islands. Freshwater supplies depend entirely on rainfall or expensive desalinated water.

Kyrgyzstan 31 August (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the USSR in 1991)

Dining in Kyrgyzstan......

Trivia: Kyrgyzstan’s walnut forests are among the world’s largest natural forests of this type.

Malaysia 31 August (Hari Merdeka, independence (within the Commonwealth) from the United Kingdom 1957)

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The food of Malaysia...

Trivia: Sabahis home to the Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world.

Trinidad and Tobago 31 August (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1962)

Cuisine of the islands....

Trivia: The Trinidad Moruga “Scorpion” Pepper has officially been ranked as the world’s hottest pepper by the Guinness Book of Records.